Sweet, salty and full of flavour, this teriyaki tofu is a great vegan weeknight dinner. Perfectly crispy tofu in a sticky sauce is so easy to make and tastes amazing! Even tofu hating eaters will love this! Just serve with steamed broccoli and rice for a tasty vegan dinner.
I was a latecomer to tofu, and I was never very fond of it. That is until I learned to make it crispy! Crispy tofu is now a regular on our weekly menu. Whether we have it in a curry or a stir fry we are all tofu converts now!
This teriyaki tofu is so easy to make and has everything you expect from a teriyaki dish. It's sweet, salty and gloriously sticky! I marinade the tofu before frying it until it's perfectly crispy. I had to stop myself from eating this straight from the pan it's that good!
What You'll Need
All you need are a few simple ingredients to make this teriyaki tofu, you probably have almost everything in your cupboard already!
- Tofu - extra firm tofu works best for this dish. You'll find it in the chilled aisle of large supermarkets.
- Garlic and ginger - fresh is best for this one and I like a lot of garlic in this!
- For the sauce - light soy, mirin, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. You should be able to find all of these in your supermarket. I also add dark, soft brown sugar.
- Cornflour - also known as cornstarch, this helps to make the tofu crispy when you fry it and helps the sauce get nice and sticky.
How To Make Teriyaki Tofu
This is just a quick visual guide, please see the recipe card below for full instructions and full ingredient list.
- Cut the tofu into cubes. Add soy sauce and sesame oil to a bowl and whisk together. Toss the tofu until it absorbs the liquid. Then add the cornflour/cornstarch and a pinch of ground black pepper. Toss the tofu again and leave it to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
- Heat oil in a wok, then fry the tofu until it is crispy and golden brown. Remove from the wok and keep warm.
- Add the sliced onion to the wok, cook for a few minutes then add the garlic and ginger, cook for another minute. Add the sauce ingredients.
- Now add the tofu and bring the sauce to the boil, cook until the sauce thickens. Serve the teriyaki tofu on a bed of rice with some steamed broccoli, a pinch of sesame seeds and some sliced spring onions/scallions.
Recipe Tips And Variations
- Tofu - Extra-firm tofu is really best for this dish as it will hold its shape once cooked.
- Baked or fried tofu - as much as I love baked tofu, I found that frying the tofu gave the best results. You can bake it if you wish, it will increase the cooking time of this dish though.
- Make it gluten-free - swap the soy sauce for tamari sauce to make this dish gluten-free. Cornflour/cornstarch is gluten-free, but I would always check the label to make sure it is.
- Pro-Tip - I recommend pressing the tofu before you marinate it, this will get rid of some of the water. I do this by placing a double layer of kitchen paper on a baking tray. Slice the tofu into four slices (as in the photo) place the tofu on the paper. Cover the tofu with another double layer of then place another tray on top of it. Place 4 x 400g cans of beans on top of the tray and leave for at least 30 minutes. You will be surprised at how much water will come out of the tofu! However, if you don't have the time, you can absolutely make this without pressing the tofu and still get very good results.
- Pro-Tip - to get your sauce thick and sticky you will need to bring the sauce to the boil, stirring all the time. You really need to keep an eye on it as it will thicken quite quickly.
- Pro-Tip - save time by using a steamer on top of your rice to steam the broccoli!
How To Serve Teryaki Tofu
I usually serve this with rice, steamed broccoli and finish it off with some sliced spring onions/scallions and a pinch of sesame seeds. You can also serve this with stir-fried peppers.
More Tasty Tofu Recipes That You'll Love
- Sesame Tofu - bursting with flavour, this vegan crispy tofu dish comes in a sticky-sweet sauce with peppers.
- Thai Red Curry - with marinated tofu and veggies, this curry is perfect comfort food. Creamy, spicy and packed with layers of gorgeous flavours. This is one of my favourites!
- Miso Glazed Tofu - crispy baked tofu with stir-fried veggies in a tasty miso sauce. A super easy, vegetarian dinner perfect for any day of the week.
Have you made this Teriyaki Tofu Recipe? Rate it and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!
Teriyaki Tofu
Perfectly crispy teriyaki tofu in a sticky sauce is so easy to make and tastes amazing! Even tofu hating eaters will love this! Just serve with steamed broccoli and rice for a tasty vegan dinner.
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Servings: 4
Calories: 231kcal
Ingredients
- 280 g ( 1x 10 oz ) pack of extra firm tofu cut into slices before being pressed then cubes.
- 5 tbsp light soy sauce divided into two portions 4 tbsp + 1 tbsp
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp cornstarch/cornflour
- 1 ½ tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 medium brown onion sliced
- 3 or 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 heaped tbsp soft dark brown sugar
For Serving
- Boiled or steamed rice
- Steamed broccoli
Garnish
- Sesame seeds
- Spring onions/scallions
Instructions
- Press the tofu to remove some of the water. Slice the tofu into 4 even slices. Place a double layer of kitchen paper on a baking tray, then place the tofu on the paper. Place another double layer of kitchen paper on the tofu followed by a baking tray or plate. Put 4 tins of bins on top of the tray and leave to press the tofu for at least 20 minutes, longer if you have time.
- Once the tofu is pressed cut it into evenly sized cubes, approximately 1-inch cubes.Add 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce along with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to a large bowl and whisk them together. Place the tofu into the bowl then toss it gently. Now add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper to the tofu and toss it gently until the tofu is covered. Set aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes, longer if you have time.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok and cook the tofu until crispy and golden brown. You may need to do this in two batches.Remove the tofu from the wok and keep warm.
- If you need to, add ½ a tablespoon of oil into the wok then stir fry the onion until translucent and springy. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Add the ginger and garlic to the wok and cook for a minute or two until they release their aromas. Next, add 4 tablespoons of light soy sauce to the wok along with 2 tablespoons of mirin, 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar and 1 heaped tablespoon of soft dark brown sugar and stir well.Return the tofu to the wok then turn up the heat, the sauce should be bubbling now.Keep stirring everything together now and keep a watch as the sauce will thicken quite fast.
- Serve immediately with rice and steamed broccoli and some slices of spring onion and a pinch of sesame seeds as a garnish.
Notes
- Tofu - Extra-firm tofu is really best for this dish as it will hold its shape once cooked. I found that frying the tofu gave the best results. You can bake it if you wish it will increase the cooking time of this dish though.
- Pressing the tofu – I recommend pressing the tofu before you marinate it, this will get rid of some of the water in the tofu. However, if you don’t have the time, you can make this without pressing the tofu and still get very good results.
- Make it gluten-free – swap the soy sauce for tamari sauce to make this dish gluten-free. Cornflour/cornstarch is gluten-free, but I would always check the label to make sure it is.
- Making ahead/storing and freezing - You can press and marinate the tofu the day before if you want. This dish really is best made fresh and eaten straight away. I don't recommend freezing this dish.
- Salt! - There is a lot of salt in this dish, this is due to the soy sauce. You can use a low sodium soy sauce if you wish, however, the sodium content will still be on the high side.
- Nutritional information - is calculated using an online nutrition tool all values are approximate, It is based on one serving and does not include rice or broccoli or garnishes.
Nutrition
Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.9g | Protein: 7.4g | Fat: 11.7g | Saturated Fat: 1.6g | Sodium: 1547mg | Potassium: 182mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 11g | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 2mg
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Hi Michelle, another great recipe! I didn’t have mirin but will buy it. Might try the sweet & sour next. Have sent the link to your blog to my mum in NI who’s also veggie.
Thanks so much Catherine! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I hope you mum likes some of the recipes too 🙂
Oh my goodness! My son is going to love this recipe! I'm so excited to make this! Putting the ingredients on the list now!
I love the homemade teriyaki. So much better than in a jar. And pretty easy too! Easy enough for a quick weeknight meal, for sure!
This is always my go-to for a quick and easy meal. You can't beat homemade teriyaki sauce too.
Such a great option for my vegan family members that I can make for them!
Wow! I never knew about making tofu crispy! It really elevates the flavor and the look of it.